Airborne Doppler Radar Observations in Hurricane Debby

Abstract

A pulse-Doppler radar on board a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) WP-3D research aircraft has been used to map the wind field in the vicinity of the developing eye wall of Hurricane Debby, which occurred in 1982. The Doppler-derived winds in the eye wall region compare favorably with winds measured aboard the aircraft. The Doppler radar allowed the wind field to be documented in much more detail than has been possible in previous hurricane studies. The maximum winds were found radially, just inward of the band of maximum radar reflectivity, and were concentrated in two mesoscale maxima. A mesoscale trough associated with the developing eye wall sloped upwind and radially outward through the 1?5 km layer. The trough was best defined at 2?3 km, where it contained a closed mesocyclonic circulation.